“But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. Purge the evil person from among you.” – I Corinthians 5:11-13

To properly answer a matter, it is important that we begin by framing the correct questions. The matter in question is the foundation of the Christian faith which was established by the Lord Jesus Christ as the ekklesia (Greek) – called out assembly referred to in the scriptures as the “body of Christ”. (Matt. 16:18)

What is the scriptural identity of this “body” (called out assembly) that was founded by one Jesus of Nazareth? Who is Jesus? What is it that unites this body? What is it’s mission? It’s vision and values? It’s purpose and reason for being?

These are all excellent questions and the scriptures provide clear answers to them all – to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. That is, there is a problem with us in understanding. The act of our being placed in said “body” requires a change in us.

“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Jesus answered him, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” – John 3:1-3

Jesus said, the words that I speak to you are Spirit and they are life. We are born of the Word of God. It is a supernatural work. Jesus, is that Word of God in the flesh. The eternal logos – God in Christ came to bring us redemption and reconciliation from bondage to condemnation and corruption by means of His own blood; to reunite us to the life of God.

Jesus is the Son of God from everlasting, revealed to take away our sin and reunite all who come to Him to the Father. Therefore, God Himself is both creator and redeemer. God in Christ Jesus is set forth as our righteous savior and sovereign.

Christ’s coming mission was revealed in these royal pronouncements:

“Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” and “Repent and believe the gospel!”

What is this gospel “good news”?

It is the gracious pronouncement that God in Christ was to do what no man could; ransom us back from the power of sin, death, and the devil. In this, God in Christ is the effective agent of reconciling us to Himself; that is in the very act of reconciling, God Himself is reconciled. We are delivered from wrath through Him. God in Christ put to death the enmity that was the result of our guilt (breaking of His Law) on the cross; nailing the record of our offences to it, and declaring us “righteous”. He is now free to work in men in making them righteous as they repent and believe the gospel.

God in Christ made a provisional pardon for all. God did not “wink” at sin and violations of His righteous Law, but in Christ has magnified His Law and set forth on the canvas of time with the most brilliant contrasts of color – the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the rightness of His Law, the just condemnation upon us all, and the triumph of His love! Truly, no eye hath seen, nor ear heard, nor heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those that love Him!

Here is the foundation upon which this “body” is established. He who does not hold this teaching is outside the body. It is that simple.

God in Christ, in redeeming us in His blood, has carried our sins away and made open the way of forgiveness and provisional pardon for all. He did NOT pay our penalty. He made a way for forgiveness. He himself suffered loss to buy us back from captivity. For only God Himself, the Holy and Just One, the author of life could suffer such a loss (death) and prevail. Now He makes His triumph available through His Spirit to all who will receive Him.

These are the foundations of that faith once delivered:

Jesus is the Son of God, the eternal logos, equal to God, from everlasting; He came in the flesh (was incarnate) in order to redeem and rescue us from sin, death, and the hostile powers arrayed against us (All who deny this whether Arian, Modalist, Adoptionist, Ebionite, Gnostic, Pantheist, Panentheist – are proclaiming another Jesus and another gospel)

Christ commands all men everywhere to repent and believe the gospel “good news”.

To repent means to Admit/Quit our sinning (transgressing of God’s Laws). We are to confess and forsake our sins that we may take hold of the reconciliation of God that the gospel of Christ provides – the very righteousness of God to be revealed in us by His Spirit; the Law of the Spirit of Life freeing us from sin’s dominion. We must not allow sin anymore to reign in our mortal bodies. We take up our cross by faithful continuance, abide in Jesus, and walk after Him.

To believe means that we trust alone in the work of redemption that God in Christ accomplished. We believe in our hearts, we profess with our mouths that Christ died for our sins and was raised for our justification. It is not of merit, satisfaction, restitution, or penance. Only God can deliver us from sin and death and restore us to life! It is God’s righteous, gracious, and loving rescue!

Upon believing, we are commanded to be buried with Christ in baptism and He will seal and baptize us with His Holy Spirit. We are given the inward witness of His Spirit that we are children of God. No longer held by the spirit of bondage to fear, but the spirit of adoption – by which we cry Abba Father!

This great deliverance or salvation is “in Christ”. We are placed in Christ’s body by the work of God in us and granted power “to become” sons of God by adoption through the Holy Spirit. As we are “in Him”, though we die yet shall we live; as we are buried “with Him” and die to sin – we shall also be raised with Him to incorruption and eternal life.

We are now strangers in this present world, serving the Lord who bought us, holding this blessed hope and assurance, looking for the glorious appearing of our great God and savior, the Lord Jesus Christ and the redemption of our bodies! Hallelujah! Come Lord Jesus!

Being born of God’s Word and Spirit we desire the meat of the Word and begin our walk to maturity in Christ our Lord. There are many detours that will present themselves on this way – this is the place of testing and trial. There are also false brothers whom Jesus and the apostles warned us about. We are to test them and at the same time examine ourselves as we hold fast to the faith once delivered, what has been revealed by the prophets, the apostles, and Jesus Christ Himself – the chief cornerstone.

Of utmost importance is the primacy of the word and gospel you have received by faithful witnesses; hold fast the WORD of God which is the salvation of your soul. As you abide in the word of TRUTH and the Spirit of TRUTH leads you, it will be very apparent who the false converts are as they will reveal themselves by these key characteristics.

These wolves among the sheep have no ‘fear of God’ and no regard for His commands. They despise authority and speak disparagingly of others. They stir up doubt and discord and handle the WORD of God deceitfully as a means of gain. They are of the world and do not see the Kingdom of God.

They are living for pride, power, and their own immediate pleasure; the love of God or the WORD of God is not in them. They pursue their lusts and sin without any pangs of conscience and rejoice in the brazenness of others who pursue the same. They mock and revile the righteous who walk upright in the conviction of the Holy Spirit. They are blind guides. White washed sepulchers, full of dead men’s bones. They are wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.

You must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ that in the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions; It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. – Jude 1:21

When God’s WORD is the single voice of authority – strife ceases. When the plain text of scripture as illuminated by the Spirit is supreme and pre-eminent there will be no blasphemers and heretics permitted in the “body” such as Hymenaeus, Alexander, and Philetus who were saying the resurrection had already come and were destroying the faith of some. These will be put out, in the hopes they may be restored and learn not to blaspheme God’s WORD. (1 Tim. 1:18-20; 2 Tim. 2:14-19)

Those who subtly subvert the authority of scripture, deny its plain teachings as revealed by the Spirit to Christ’s body, those who are living in willful sin after gentle reproof, and corporate rebuke; these are to be put outside the “body” – have nothing to do with them. They are not to be received as “family” in the body of Christ, unless they bring fruits of repentance and are restored. (Tit. 3:10-11)

As the Lord spoke to Cain (who did things his way), “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” – Gen. 4:7

Steer clear of the detours, abide in His Word, gently instruct those in error, reprove those in darkness, purge out the leaven, proclaim the TRUTH of the gospel, pray and labor until He comes. “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” – James 1:12

“Therefore, do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” – 1 Cor. 4:5-7

Here is another potential pitfall for us to be lured from the path of life and for pride to destroy the soul of one redeemed. Certainly, we stand firm on what has been revealed in the authoritative text of scripture. We have nothing that we have not received; where then is there boasting? Knowledge puffs up, love edifies (builds up) the body.

We need to be wary of going beyond what is written and revealed. If we affirm something not in the explicit text of scripture we must qualify this is a “could be”. Howbeit, we may not affirm it as foundational. Conversely, we must not affirm something as “could be” that IS foundational.

The foundational things are authoritatively proclaimed NOT dialogued. The fundamentals are manifest in the character, faithful continuance, and fruit of them that are borne of the WORD of God and the Spirit of God. These “other foods” are regarded as “food for thought”, “junk food”, or “leaven” by them that are spiritual and discerning.

In this area, it begins small based on some obscure speculation here or there or some textual variant reading applied to all the other plain texts that conflict with this obscure and novel interpretation bringing some “new” previously “hidden” truth to light and subverting all the plain emphatic texts to its deconstructive will.

This may then lead to the explosive popularity of some person or group as having “new revelation” and bam, a new sect is formed. This creates division based on smoke and mirrors between those who allegedly have “a secret” and those who are not “in the know”. These are satanic distractions to the body from its mission to seek and save the lost.

More often than not, this slips directly into heretical teachings and into the realm of the “wolves” again making merchandise of any they can. In so doing, they are causing little ones to stumble. Be sure the Lord will hold them accountable. For this reason, we should not affirm anything beyond what is written and ought to hold a sober humility concerning what IS and HAS been revealed to us. (Deut 29:29; 2 Cor. 4:4)

The scriptures clearly reveal this principle and I will now provide two such witnesses:

“You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.” – Deut. 4:2

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star. The Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let the one who hears say, Come. And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. He who testifies to these things says, Surely, I am coming soon. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” – Rev. 22:16-21

Essentials for “unity in the faith” in short entail the scriptural affirmation of the person of Jesus the Christ and the scriptural affirmation of the gospel. Need I say again,  according to the scriptures..

The echad (complex unity) of God
The eternal logos incarnate (Christ) (virgin birth)
The eternal redemption and remission of sins in His blood
The biblical gospel (repentance/faith, baptism, spirit regeneration, faithful continuance in Christ)
The resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement (Heb. 6:1-3 – elementary teachings of Christ)

In short, at the point where departure is made from the authoritative scriptures, the teachings of the apostles, and the Lord Jesus Christ there is a slippery slope outside the body and therefore outside that faith once delivered.

The earliest statement of theology which the ekklesia did universally subscribe penned by Tertullian in the 2nd century:

“The rule of faith, indeed is altogether one, alone unmoveable, unchangeable. The rule is:
To believe in only one God Almighty, the Creator of the universe, and His Son Jesus Christ, born of the virgin Mary, crucified under Pontius Pilate, raised again the third day from the dead, received into the heavens, sitting now at the right hand of the Father, destined to come and judge the living and the dead through the resurrection of the flesh.”

A theological class would arise later to usurp the place of authoritative interpreters of scripture and make their additions and negations to the teaching once delivered and handed down from the Apostles of the Lamb — whom Christ had chosen as the foundation of His church.

For further study please look at the early christian heresies that attacked the very person of Christ in “Messiah and His Mission”.